a/n: this is my first lwd fanfic, so I hope you like it. Reviews are always appreciated!
disclaimer: I own nothing. The song is owned by Mika and Life with Derek is owned by someone who isn't me.
Chapter 1: This is My Life Now
This is the way you left me,
I'm not pretending,
No hope, no love, no glory,
No happy ending.
24-year-old Casey Macdonald looked at the sweater on the hanger. Sure, she liked the colour but it had to be hand washed and she hated to hand wash. It was a sweater that she could afford though; with her budget, she was really considering buying it. It fit perfectly on her, showing off her curves that proved that she was clearly a dancer. Others that lived in the house did have some clothes to hand wash so they could each take turns. Casey sighed; she knew she was going to buy it. She couldn't keep wearing the same old clothes that she wore for two years at work. She needed to look a bit more professional.
She paid for the sweater as well as two dress pants and a dress shirt. She could mix and match these clothes with her older ones. She thought this trip to the mall was satisfying. She looked at her watch, knowing that she had to get home soon. She knew some of them would start to worry if she didn't arrive home when she said she would. Sometimes she wished that she had the nerve to let them worry and have them stand on their own two feet but she knew it wasn't fair to them. It wasn't fair for her to be selfish with everything they went through.
She just wished that she had some help occasionally, but knew she couldn't hire any extra help than what she already had. The only person that could help her would be the one person that left when things got tough. He left to follow his dream and stuck her with the problem. She couldn't say that she wasn't surprised that he left. It was what he did best, leave and only call occasionally to talk to everyone except her. He skipped holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, claiming that he had previous plans, but the truth was he didn't want to come, he couldn't handle it. Did anyone ever ask Casey though if she could handle it? No. No one did but she didn't take failure as an option. She fought and even though she never thought her life would turn out like this, she still continued with it, taking one-step at a time.
She left the store and began to walk quickly to the exit of the mall. She thought that maybe if she moved fast enough, she could park outside the house, listen to the peace and quiet for a second, and escape her life before she had to face reality. She had tunnel vision to the exit and she didn't see a young girl, about her age, walking backwards towards her. They both collided and all the bags that the girl and Casey were carrying went everywhere as they both fell to the ground.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I'm a complete klutz," the girl said, picking up Casey's bags before her own. A crowd formed around them, watching both of them scramble to get their items. Casey stood up and picked up the sweater that she debated buying that fell out of the bag. It had a footprint on the arm, as someone must have accidentally stepped on it. She picked another piece of clothing that wasn't hers and handed it to the girl as the girl handed Casey's bags to her. The small crowd that had formed deteriorated, as people got bored that the fall wasn't too exciting.
"It's alright, it was mostly my fault," Casey said to reassured the poor girl. She looked like she was new in town. You can always tell the tourists apart from the townies. Casey bent down to pick up a shirt that she knew with no question that it was the girl's. It was far too expensive to be even close to what Casey would buy.
"Are you alright Faith?" A male voice asked.
"I'm fine, just my dignity is a bit sore," the girl replied.
"I can't leave you alone for one second can I?" the male voice said, beginning to chuckle. Casey had a funny feeling that she heard this voice before but couldn't place where. Casey handed the girl her shirt and looked up at the male that had his arm wrapped around the girl's waist. She was shocked to see who was standing there. What the hell was he doing in London, the place that he has tried to escape for years.
"Derek?" Casey asked, making sure that she didn't just finally lose it.
"Casey?" he asked back, equally surprised.
"You two know each other?" the girl questioned, staring at both Casey's and Derek's stunned faces.
Reviews are always welcome!